Dear Editor, A recent study by Costa et al.() investigated the association between facemask usage and SARS-CoV-2 viral load in individuals with mild COVID-19 symptoms. This cross-sectional study, conducted at a public emergency care facility in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, aimed to explore whether the regular use of facemasks is correlated with lower viral loads in infected individuals. The principal findings revealed a significantly lower probability of high SARS-CoV-2 viral load in individuals who regularly wore masks than those who did […]

Dear Editor, The Brazilian Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics recently issued a statement against using polygenic risk scores for breast cancer risk stratification in Brazilian women. In fact, an ongoing surge could be observed in genomic signatures and prognostic models, with over 200 LASSO-based TCGA signatures appearing in Scientific Reports last year, based on a focused keyword-based search, several of questionable quality. Discerning reliable models from unreliable ones is crucial for clinicians in order to avoid poorly validated tools. […]

Dear Editor, Biocomputer literature has speculated on ChatGPT application in post mortem interactions, i.e., the interlocution between living people and supervening “memories” of already deceased persons., Within the generative artificial intelligence (AI) research spectrum, such speculations raise a bioethical dilemma related to the violation of the dignity of dead people, who did not consent or authorize such invasive appropriation and exploitation of their memories and ethos in their lives. In a sense, our perspective presupposes and proposes a new question: […]

Dear Editor, For several decades, the dengue epidemic has been a concern for public health authorities. The dengue virus (DENV) is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions, and its annual incidence has increased significantly over the years.() Since it is transmitted by an arthropod vector (the Aedes aegypti mosquito), it is classified as an arbovirus, along with the yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. There are four serotypes of the virus (DENV-1 to DENV-4), all of which can infect humans.() […]

Dear Editor: We thank Dr. Hinpetch Daungsupawong and Dr. Viroj Wiwanitkit for their detailed review of our work: Lessons from the pandemic and the value of a structured system of ultrasonographic findings in the diagnosis of COVID-19 pulmonary manifestations() published in einstein. We appreciate your interest in our work, and the time dedicated to sharing your concerns. […]

Dear Editor, We read with interest the article by Costa et al.,() which demonstrated that individuals who consistently wear face masks have a lower likelihood of carrying a high viral load after contracting severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection compared to those who do not regularly wear masks. This finding strongly supports the recommendation of face mask usage during periods of high viral circulation in outdoor crowded places, particularly among individuals at higher risk of developing more aggressive forms […]

Dear Editor, Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations, and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is an essential support in severe cases.() Data obtained through expiratory and inspiratory pause maneuvers on mechanical ventilators during spontaneous breathing in adult IMV patients have been shown to aid prevention of patient self-inflicted lung injury (P-SILI).(,) […]

Dear Editor, With this letter, we aim to supplement the data published by Colleti Junior et al.() Evaluating the global prevalence of validated delirium assessment tools and implementing delirium management protocols is essential.() Delirium often complicates the care of elderly patients in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities, necessitating effective strategies to mitigate its effect on patient outcomes and recovery.() […]

Dear Editor, The article titled “Factors underlying the high occupational risk of healthcare personnel for COVID-19 infection,”() published in this journal, contributes to the discussion on the occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 contamination among health professionals and the relevance of the application of infection-prevention and control measures in routine care. […]

Dear Editor, We aimed to address a paper on the systematic system of ultrasonographic findings for the diagnosis of COVID-19 pulmonary symptoms.() The paper described the development of a scoring system to identify lung involvement based on ultrasonography results. Most of the 69 tests were conducted on girls aged 1–96 years. The findings revealed a link between higher COVID-RADS scores and ground-glass opacities on CT, with the majority falling into category 1 and 2. Half of the patients in the […]